1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to balustrades for people moving devices in general, and to balustrade handrail entry guards in particular.
2. Background Art
For safety reasons, escalators and other people moving devices typically include a handrail for passengers to steady themselves on. The handrail travels a circuitous path around a balustrade assembly at approximately the same speed as the steps or belts of the device. In the exposed section of the path, handrail guides direct the handrail along the periphery of a plurality of balustrade panels. At each end of the device, the balustrade panels include a semicircularlike panel, or "newel" that the handrail follows around to reverse direction. On the lower part of each newel, the handrail enters the enclosed base of the balustrade assembly and thereafter travels through to the other end of the people moving device.
A person of skill in the art will recognize that the handrail entering the base of the balustrade creates a pinch point where foreign objects can become trapped between the moving handrail and the balustrade base. To avoid this problem it is known in the art to provide a deflector shield around the handrail where it enters the balustrade base.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,113,173 to Dunn et al., hereinafter referred to as Dunn, discloses a stairway handrail guard. Dunn's guard comprises two symmetrical horn-shaped casings arranged around the handrail which extends upwardly from the handrail opening. Dunn discloses further that each casing is formed with an integral flange at its base and is secured to the end plate of the balustrade by screws. The two casings form a slot along the bottom of handrail. Beveled surfaces along the slot, according to Dunn, prevent foreign objects from getting pinched in the slot.